Corruption in India

Ben Antao

Like a moth to the flame, I am drawn again and again to the issue of corruption in India. Over the past ten years I have been railing against this evil of rampant corruption. And I have had to endure abuse from certain Goans because I am calling it as I see it. Only last month I sent a post on why democracy is not working in India and Goa because there is no equality.

However, there is a silver lining on the horizon and I see that in the letter written to the Constitution Review Committee by Central Vigilance Commissioner N.Vittal, who is urging that a new fundamental right to corruption-free service be added to the Constitution's Chapter on Fundamental Rights.

This is good news. And I know that thoughtful and caring Indians will support Vittal's  initiative.

I would like to reiterate a couple of Vittal's points because they point to the heart of the problem.

"Today, after 53 years of India's independence, we have reached a stage where no citizen can go to any office in this country and get anything done unless he bribes or is able to bring influence," said Vittal.

That's a crying shame and begs to high heaven for redress.

"All-pervasive corruption is a social evil which is as bad, if not worse than what untouchability was when our Constitution was framed in 1950."

For Catholics and Christians, social evil is a cardinal sin as repugnant and abhorrent as personal sin. I have this on the authority of Vatican II, the document on Church in the World.

I know Fred Noronha will say he is only doing his job as a journalist, but I want to thank him anyway for sending the Vittal letter to the Forum. This is great news of hope, a voice in the corruption wilderness of India crying for repentance and renewal. I pray that Vittal's prophetic voice will be heard and this social evil of corruption will slowly die in a generation or so.

We shall overcome someday.

Ben

Ben Antao
June 18,  2000